With Kearse’s off-the-field troubles along with him not being a starting-caliber safety doesn’t make this a huge deal for the Vikings.
Kearse was a 2016 seventh-round draft pick out of Clemson. In his four seasons with the club, he’s appeared in 62 games, starting five. He’s served as a spot starter at safety and has the size to cover bigger players.
In Kearse’s defense, he did had a Pro Football Focus grade of 89 in 2019, an increase of more than 20 points from his grade of 2018.
It will be interesting to see where Kearse goes, how much money he gets and what kind of role will be expected of him.
The Vikings have already cut ties with cornerback Xavier Rhodes and defensive tackle Linval Joseph this offseason.